Shooting Rest -- Caldwell Lead Sled

I like mine because I shoot big bores with no break on them and the weight helps when
working up loads and 40 or 50 shots are required.

I don't use sandbags with it because it already weighs enough with out them and on
hard kicking rifles (70 ft/lbs or more) I don't want to restrain the rifle to much and risk
damaging or breaking the stock.

I carpeted the tray and it is a handy place to hold scope caps or even the bolt while
cleaning.

Also when I proof test/fire a rifle with a BLUE PILL (Very Hot load over maximum) I strap it
down to the lead sled and use a lanyard to pull the trigger from a safe place. It normally
moves back 6 or 8 inches but it is the safe way to do it and still control the rifle.

Once the rifle and load are ready and the zero is where I want it then I use sand bags only
to make sure the zero doesn't move when using any kind of rest and your shoulder to
make a shot on game.

I have one of the first versions of a caldwell lead sled and I use it a lot for finding out what hard hitting rifles are capable of for accuracy. I bought it when I had a 300RUM and it was money well spent. I use it for sighting in shotgun slugs, 45/70 hot loads, and especially for load development when I want to eliminate human error.

They are great for getting your rifles setup, but once my rifle is good to go, I stand up. Then again, I don't hunt out west like most of you and around here a long shot is 200 yards.

I used my friends just to try it out and if you like extreme accuracy and know how to properly use a rest then this is not for you. Well for that matter if you are using one or asking about it then you need a little more education on how to properly set up a rifle in a proper rest.

After he learned how to use a rest properly it was sold and he bought my Bald Eagle which I had retired.

The point of the lead sled isn't to be a "proper rest". It was designed to take as much recoil out of rifles as possible. It's a good rest, but was never designed for the benchrest crowd. It does an outstanding job for what it was designed to do.

Guys are getting too far from shooting their rifles. If you don't want to shoot your rifle give it to me. F-class has turned into benchrest or worse. Some of these guys with a big trolley full of gear are a joke. They can set up and put a bullet in the target, but they haven't shot anything.
Nothing against anyone here, I'm just thinking about this year's season about to start.
I try to shoot off a blanket with a bipod, and get beat by people with guns on rails!

For my purposes, such a device would be valuable for extensive shooting for multiple loads during sight-in. I used no device for sighting in my .270 three weeks ago and still have a huge bruise on my right shoulder. Yes, I need a softer butt pad, but black/blue areas are like a sunburn; you don't realize the damage until a day or two afterwards.